Abstract

Field tests were conducted in California and Oregon from July to October 1978 to evaluate the effectiveness of Mesurol as a repellent to reduce bird damage to ripening wine grapes. A block of vines composed of two similar, adjacent plots was delineated at each of 20 vineyards. One randomly chosen plot within each block was treated with up to three applications of Mesurol (75% wettable powder) at a mean rate of 3.1 kg/ha. Damage assessments at harvest showed that the treatment significantly reduced bird damage in both states, but the actual level of bird damage protection provided by the treatment could not be calculated.

Based on bird censuses, the primary grape-depredating species in Oregon vineyards was the American robin (Turdus migratorius), whereas house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus), California quail (Lophortyx californicus), goldfinches (Spinus spp.), and robins were the primary species in California.